Switch lock



July 8 1924;

' 1,500,479 E. ZEMAN SWITCH LOCK Filed June 16. 1923 INVENTOR YATTORNEYS the; means of securing the rcontactj-point in one of thecontact. arms of the switch. a

- of the arrows.

Patented July 8, 1924. Q

EDWARD ZEMAN, or woonsrnn, New YORK.

swrrcn noon.

L all whom it may concern.

Be 1t known that I, EDWARD ZEMAN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at ..Woodside, county ofQueens,State of New York, have made a certain newand useful Invention inSwitch'Locks, of which the following is a specification. 1

3 This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in anelectricswitch and more particularly toan electric switch in the form ofa combinationlock, I

The object. of theinvention is to provide an electric switch for closinga circuit which can only be operated toqclose the circuit by a personwho is familiar with the combination of contacts to which the terminalsof the-electric wires are connected v A further object, offthe inventionis to provide. a switchof this character; which is simple andinexpensive in construction and i which {may be ,used in! any placewhere it isdesired that the making and breaking of a an. electricalcircuit should be under the con- .trol. of certain parties. only. i a25,

.Other objects, of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter. r lV The invention consistsv substantially in the construction,combination, location and relative arrangementof parts, all as willbemore fully hereinafterset forth, as shownin the accompanying drawing and.finally pointed:0ut in theappended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawing: I

Fig. '1 is an elevation of the front face of the device. A

Fig. 2 isa central verticallongitudinal sectional view of same on theline 22 of Fig. 1.

. v Fig.1 3. isa: sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 lookinginthe direction 'Fig.. 4 is anelevation ,the 'front face switch Y arms.

.ofthecontact plate showing two of the Fig. .5 isa d ail setioiin view-Showing .Referring specifically to the drawing, -1

designates asuitable housing whichincloses the. switch mechanism in anysuitable manner.v 7

. ,The switch structureproperis composed of the contact plate 2. and thetop plate 7. ,Thecontact'plate 2 is made of bakelite or Luther suitableinsulated inaterial and is to the inner end separated or spaced from thetop plate by means of a plurality of posts 8 which are secured tothe'contact plate andtop plate in any suitable manner.

The inner face of the contact plate 2 has a series of indentations 3provided therein. These indentations are preferably arranged in a circleand there are three rows of the same.

At predetermined pointson the contact plate contact points are placed inthese indentations and are maintained therein by means of binding poststo which said contact points are secured. These binding posts areindicated at 10, 11, 12, 13, in Fig. 2.

The wire s 5 and 6 and 6 of the circuit to be operated by the switch areadapted to be secured to said binding posts ,"wires 5 being 'adapted tobe secured to certain of the posts and wires 6 andfi to certain other ofthese posts, as will bejmo're fully explained hereinafter. i "fRot-atably mounted in the top plate 7 is theshaft9. Secured to the outerend'ofthis shaft is the dial l4 and knob Secured of said shaft is thecontact arm16.

,Thetop plate is alsoprovided with ex tensions lit-which. are providedwith openings 18. adapted to" receive bolts or other suitable fasteningmeans-for securing the switch to the'place wherever it is to be used.

The dial .14 mounted onthe shaft 9 has a series of numbers indicatedthereon which are arranged to correspond with the num- .ber ofindentationsarranged in three circles on the contact plate.

The contact arm 1 6 secured to the shaft 9 v has secured to it at itsfree end an insulated contact mounting 19 which has two springmaintained contact points 20 and 211 The method of mounting thesecontact points in the saidmountingis shown in Fig. 5. The

.contactmounting 19 may be secured'to the contact arm,16 in any suitablemanner, such as,- for instance, by means of a, screw 22. ;The contactpoints 20. and 21 are adapted to register with the middle row ofindentations insaid contact plate.

Rigidly-fmounted in the contact plate 2 is a shaft- 23 which-issecuredthereto in any suitable manner, such as by a@ nut 24. Rotatably mountedon said shaft 23 are two contact arms 25 and 26. The free: ends ofvthese contact arms are bent so new form contact points to engage withthe indentations ,onthe contact plate 2. The contact 'arm 26 is shorterthan the contact arm 25 and the contact point of this arm'engages' theinner circle of indentations 3 on'the contact plate. The contact pointof the arm 25 engages the outer indentations on the contact plate. Thecontact arm 26 is of such length that the contact arm 16 may be revolvedby the shaft 9 and the contact mounting" 19 will pass the said contactarm 26 withoutinterfering with the same. 7

At predetermined points inthethree circular rows of indentations in thecontact plate',-thereisinserted throughthe plate, at the point where anI indentation occurs, a contact pin. One pin, for instance, is placed at27 in the outer row of indentations; two pinslare placed at-28 in themiddle row of indentations, and one pin is placed at 29 inv the. innerrow. These pins are secured to and maintained in place by means of thebinding posts 13, 12, 11 and as shown in Fig. 2-.

Secured tothe. binding post 10 is a wire 5 leading to the electriccurrent supply to be controlled, which: may be the positive lead of saidcircuit. Secured to the binding post 12Iis' the Wire 6 which may be thenegative lead for said circuit. The binding posts 11 and 13 areconnected to wires leading to the apparatus to be controlled by theelectric circuit such as for instance a bell, as shown in Fig. 2. 7

From the above description it will .be seen that when'the contact pointsof arms 16, and 26 coincide with the contact pins 28, 29 and 27, thecircuit is closed and the circuit may be employed for whatever purposeit is designed to be used. .If any one of the contacts is out ofengagement with its respective contact pin the circuit is broken and theelectrical supply cut ofi.

operation the switch operates as follows:

The dial 10, as above stated, is provided with numbers on the facethereof which cor- ,r'e's po nd' to' the number of indicationsin thecontactplate 2. The contact pin 29, for instance,- is inserted throughthe contact plate at a point on the inner circle of indentationswhichcorresponds with the number 29.011 the'diah The contact point 27 isthe contact plate at a point on the: outer circle of indentations whichcorresponds to the number 27 on the dial,

and; the contact points 28 are inserted "through the contact plateatpoints in the circle of ihdentations which correspond tothe number 28 onthe dial.

By'revolving the dial in one direction, say 'totlie1e'ft, tlie contactarm 16 is also caused ,to be revolved and the contact mounting 19secured tothe contact arm 16 is caused'to abut against and carrywith itthe Canaan arm 25 mounted on the shaft 23. The contact arm 25, in beingcarried along by the contact mounting 19 of arm 16, picks up and carrieswith it the contact arm26.

The dial is rotated until the number 29 coincides with the marker on thedial and at that point the contact arm 26 is in en-.

the dial, at which point the contact p oint of said arm is in engagementwith the eontact pin 27 in the contact plate 2. The dial is then rotatedin the opposite direction again until the contact points of the contactmounting 19 coincide and register with the contact pins 28 in thecontact plate.

This point is reached when the dial has. been rotated until the number28 coincides with themarker on the dial. The circuit is then closedandready to function.

It will be seen that a combination of three numbers corresponding to thepositionof the contact .pins in the contact plate must be known to theperson who. desires-to put the circuit in condition for functioning andit is im ossible for anyone to'close the circuitv uni ess they areacquainted with the combination.

A switch of this character has many desirable uses and may beemployedfor con trolling the ignition circuit of automobiles, forelectric locks or for controlling the lighting system of a house, etc. 7V i p i A preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown, but itwill be understood that various'changes and modifications may be-madewithout a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention asclaimed hereinafterf Having fully described my invention, what I claimas" new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: V

1. An electric switch comprising a" pair of spaced plates, oneof saidplates being formed of an'insulated material, concentric rows ofindentations arranged on said insulated, plate, contacts forming. theterminals of an electric circuit arranged in certain of saidindentations, a shaftsec'ured tosaid insulated plat ga plurality ofcontact arms rotatably secured to said shaft and adapted to engagecertain of said contacts, the other of said plates having a shaftrotatably secured therein, a contact arm secured thereto,

spaced plates, one of said plates being formed of an insulated material,concentric rows of indentations arranged on said insu-- lated plate,contacts forming the terminals of an electric circuit arranged in eachof said rows of indentations, a shaft secured to said insulated plate,two contact arms rotatably secured to said shaft, one of said contactarms adapted to engage the contacts in one of said rows of indentationsand the other of said contact arms adapted to engage the contacts inanother of said rows of indentations, the other of said plates having ashaft rotatably secured therein, a contact arm secured thereto andadapted to engage the contacts in another row of said indentations,means secured to said shaft for rotating said last mentioned contactarm, and means secured to said contact arm for engaging with andactuating the contact arms on said insulated plate.

3. An electric switch comprising a pair of spaced plates, one of saidplates being formed of an insulated material, concentric rows ofindentations arranged on said insulated plate, contacts forming theterminals of an electric circuit arranged in each of said rows ofindentations, a shaft secured to said insulated plate, two contact armsrotatably secured to said shaft, one of said contact arms adapted toengage the contacts in one of said rows of indentations and the other ofsaid contact arms adapted to engage the contacts in another of said rowsof indentations, the other of said plates having a shaft rotatablysecured therein, a contact arm secured thereto and adapted to engage thecontacts in another row of said indentations, means secured to saidshaft for rotating said last mentioned contact arm, means secured tosaid contact arm for engaging with and actuating the contact arms onsaid insulated plate, a cover for said switch, and means on said lastmentioned plate for securing the switch to a support.

4. An electric switch comprising a supporting plate and an insulatedplate, means for spacing said plates apart, concentric rows ofindentations arranged on said insulated plate, contacts forming theterminals of an electric circuit arranged in each row of saidindentations, a shaft secured to said insulated plate, two contact armsrotatably secured to said shaft and adapted to engage certain rows ofindentations and said contacts contained therein, one of said contactarms being shorter than said other contact arm, a shaft rotatablymounted in said supporting plate. a contact arm mounted on said shaftand rotating therewith, a contact mounting mounted on said contact arm,a pair of contact pins arranged in said mounting, and adapted to engagewith contacts arranged in a third row of indentations in said insulatedplate, means for rotating said shaft, means for rotating the contactarms on said insulated plate when said shaft is rotated, and means forregulating the rotation of each individual contact arm so as to causethe same to engage with or disengage from the contacts in saidindentations.

5. An electric switch comprising a supporting plate and an insulatedplate, means for securing said plates in spaced relation with eachother, concentric rows of indentations arranged on said insulated plate,contacts forming the terminals for wires of an electric circuit arrangedat predetermined points in said indentations, a contact arm for each ofsaid concentric rows of indentations, one of said arms being adapted toengage the other of said contact arms to thereby -move said armsindependently one of the other for engaging the contact points at theirprearranged points.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 12th day ofJune, A. D. 1923.

EDWARD ZEMAN.

